Second Chances
by emilycw98
Summary: It's two years after Effy has been arrested, and she's finally been released. She's ready to get her life back on track again, but she doesn't expect the sudden reappearance of someone from her past to have such a big effect on her. KEFFY/NAOMILY NAOMI DOESN'T DIE!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first story so please be nice :) I promise it will get better! I just needed to write something to fix the ball of mess that was Skins: Fire ****_not that it wasn't good... just not what I wanted._**** I also really love Keffy so... here you go!**

Effy smiled to herself slightly as she walked down the streets of London to her new flat. She'd just had a job interview that she thought went rather well. She could tell that the owner of the bank liked her, and he recognized that she was overqualified for the job she applied for- receptionist.

It had been a little over two months since she was released from prison, her home for the past two years. After her attorney explained to the courts that she was manipulated by her boss, and referenced her previous psychosis, Effy was sentenced to five years in prison and a three million pound fine. She would forever be paying off her debt, but was released early for good behavior.

As Effy arrived at her flat, her phone went off with a text message. She unlocked her door and headed inside the small apartment.

After hanging up her coat, she checked her cell phone. The text was from Naomi. She knew this before even looking at it. Naomi was the only one who ever talked to her these days. She knows this is partially her own fault. Naomi's letters were the only ones she ever responded to when she was locked away.

The message simply read: _5:00 at the comedy club on Twelfth Avenue tomorrow night._

Naomi sent her one of these texts every few days telling her when she was performing. Effy never went to any of the shows. She had such horrible memories of the performances she went to when Naomi was sick that she just couldn't bring herself to go. That would never stop Naomi from inviting her.

Naomi was just starting to get back into her comedy, only finally being healthy enough to perform live again. Apparently she was quite good, and dozens of people would come out every night just to see her.

About a month after Effy was arrested, Naomi was extremely sick. The cancer had made it to where she only woke up for a few minutes a day, if that. She hadn't eaten in nearly a week and hadn't had a single drink in over two days. She had given up. She signed the Do Not Resuscitate papers a few days before and everyone was told to say their final goodbyes.

The doctors told Emily that she could die at anytime, but Emily refused to give up. She stayed with Naomi night after night, and would beg and plead for her to keep fighting. One day, the pleading worked. Naomi woke up for over an hour and actually held down the water she was given. The next day she was awake for three hours and didn't puke up any food. The improvements only increased from there.

The doctors said it was a miracle. Only one in one-hundred-and-fifty thousand people made any sort of recovery from terminal cancer, much less a full recovery. After two months, Naomi was up, walking around the hospital, and going about her normal routine by herself.

In that time, she asked Emily about Effy, and why she wasn't there. Emily (reluctantly) told her what little she knew about Effy's situation. She was arrested for fraud, and no one had heard from her since.

Naomi of course insisted on writing to Effy, trying to ignore the fact that her best friend ignored her for a majority of her illness. She got the postal address from Tony, who Emily was forced to call to please her girlfriend, and began writing letters about her recovery and asking how Effy was doing.

When Effy received these letters, she felt a sudden urge to respond to them. Unlike the letters from her parents and brother, she felt compelled to write back to Naomi. The one thing she never did was answer any of Naomi's questions. She kept the conversation all about what was happening outside of her own personal life. she asked Naomi how she was recovering, and they talked about Naomi's growing relationship with Emily. Not once did Effy ask about her own family, the company, or any of her other friends.

Effy felt she didn't deserve it. Didn't deserve Naomi as a friend. But still, she couldn't not respond to the letters. So she and Naomi kept in contact while she was away, and have since seen each other a few times after Effy was released. Emily was still angry with her, and her parents stopped trying after Effy never responded. Tony still tried calling her, and sometimes she answered. Their conversations were short and one sided. She hadn't heard from Dominic, and didn't plan on changing that. She'd fucked up his life enough already.

So Naomi was her only friend, and she was okay with that.

She quickly typed out an excuse as to why she couldn't be at the show, and pressed send.

Sure Effy's life wasn't as glamorous as it used to be, what with her tiny flat and lonely life, but she was content. And that was all that mattered.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! I've decided to update this story at least every two weeks, but I felt guilty so I uploaded this early :) Also, I think this is the worst thing I've ever written. Don't quite understand why I'm so horrible at writing fiction, but I appreciate the readers, nonetheless. Thanks for all the reviewers and follows.**

The next morning Effy was suddenly awoken at seven a.m. by her alarm blazing from her night stand. She quickly shut it off, pulled back the blankets, and got out of bed. She woke herself up early every day, not wanting to fall back into the old habits that got her in this mess in the first place.

She walked out of her tiny room to the kitchen, where she found her pill bottles on the counter. Popping the prescribed amount in her mouth, she swallowed and headed to the bathroom to take a shower.

Effy's flat was extremely small and dirty with stains that she couldn't get out of the walls and floor even with an ungodly amount of bleach. It was the only thing she could get with what little money she had and her criminal record. It was on the bad side of town and at least a twenty minute drive to anywhere decent.

The kitchen was so small you could barely take a step without running into something, and the living room was just big enough to fit a couch and small telly. The old place she rented with Naomi was like a mansion compared to this shithole.

Nonetheless, Effy still appreciated her little home. She recognized that she was lucky. Her life might not be as glamorous as most, but she still had a house, her best friend was still alive, and she wasn't in prison anymore.

After her shower, Effy called a cab to take her to her favorite coffee shop that Tony used to take her to when he lived in London as well. They would always go there when one of them was feeling down or when Uni was getting to be too much for Effy.

Grabbing her keys and shoving on her Vans she rushed down the stairs to get in the taxi when it arrived.

"Where to?" the driver who she supposed was Alan, based on the nametag he was wearing, said.

After telling the man where she was heading she relaxed and settled in for the twenty minute journey, or rather fifteen minutes, based on how fast the driver was going.

The cab stopped fifteen minutes later in front of a small coffee shop that was hidden in between two large clothing stores. It was so well hidden that if you blinked you'd miss it completely. Once you stepped inside, however, the small entryway expanded into a rather large room with multiple tables and lounge areas.

It was weird to think that her brother could have found this place and enjoyed it so much. Everyone in the shop was the exact opposite of Tony in every way. It was filled with indie rock lovers and feminists and just kind people in general. Effy didn't know why, but she found that she loved the environment of the cafe and got along really well with the people. She'd found a group of people who really accepted her. Again, she had no idea why Tony loved the place so much.

Upon walking into the shop Effy saw a familiar face. The second she saw her she wanted to leave, but apparently God didn't want her to be happy, because before she could make her escape she caught the girls eye.

Emily's eyes bore into her and the smaller girl shoved her way past everyone to get to Effy.

"Emily, nice to see you. It's been, what, a week and a half?" Effy asked with fake enthusiasm.

Emily did not seem impressed. "What are you doing here?" the girl replied coldly.

Effy sighed. "No food in the flat. Wanted something to eat. I'll get out of your way." She started to leave.

"Effy wait." Emily grabbed her arm quickly. "I'm sorry. You have every right to be here. You were the one who introduced me to this place after all."

"Really, it's fine. I'll go. I know I'm probably the last person you want to see," Effy said, trying to get out of the situation. She didn't want to cause any more trouble.

Emily looked away guiltily. "No, wait. Please don't go. I'm here alone. We should grab a coffee and talk."

Effy looked weary to accept the offer. The two girls hadn't had the opportunity to be alone together since Effy's release. Effy figured the reason for this was that Emily had no desire to be in her presence unless it was to accompany Naomi whenever the two friends got together.

**The taller brunette looked in to the others eyes, and could see that she truly wanted to speak with her. Reluctantly, Effy nodded, and the two went to the counter to place their orders.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Another chapter! I apologize for it being so short. Also, sorry for Cook not being mentioned, but I want to wait until after Skins Rise to write about him. Just in case he dies.**

The two girls sat awkwardly in a small booth in the corner of the cafe with coffees in hand. Effy waited for the smaller girl to begin speaking, but it didn't look like she was going to start anytime soon. Effy wasn't going to give in though. If Emily wanted to talk to her, Emily would be the one to initiate conversation.

Eventually Emily broke under Effy's intense gaze. She didn't really want to be having this conversation, and regretted asking Effy to stay in the first place. But then she thought of Naomi, and how unbelievably dejected she looked the previous day when Effy declined her offer to watch her perform. So she mustered up the courage to not yell at Effy- which was very difficult, seeing as she wanted to punch her everytime she saw her- and started talking.

"You need to come to the club tonight." She could already see Effy trying to come up with an excuse in her head. "No. You will come. You don't get to keep making excuses. You're lucky she wants to speak to you at all, after the shit you pulled. You don't have the right to keep disappointing her, you already fucked up her life enough."

Effy looked extremely uncomfortable, and Emily, against her own will, began to feel sorry for the girl. She had changed so much since she was arrested. Effy wasn't the all knowing, confidant girl that she once was. She looked so empty and pathetic, and Emily hated that she felt bad for the girl. She hated that deep down, she still cared for her. As much as she told everyone what a cold-hearted bitch Effy was, she still couldn't bring herself to hate her. Which is why Emily began to regret being so harsh.

Effy still wasn't saying anything, so Emily tried to somehow make the situation better. "Listen... it's not just me who wants you there, a lot of the old gang is coming too. We're having a little reunion. Pandora, Thomas, Katie, JJ, they all want to see you, they miss you, Eff."

Effy could tell it was a lie the second it left Emily's mouth. "None of them want to see me. They hate me." Emily was taken aback by the bluntness of the statement. That didn't mean that she was going to back down though.

"Okay, so maybe saying that they all miss you was a stretch, but some of them really want to see you. Pandora misses you like crazy. It's all she talks about when she calls. 'What's Effy up to? Where is Effy? I wanna talk to Effy.' It's kind of annoying actually, but what is Panda if not annoying." Emily smiles when she manages to elicit a slight chuckle from the other girl. "So, will you come? Please?" Emily knows she sounds pathetic, but she also knows how happy Naomi will be if she sees Effy at the show.

Effy still looked apprehensive. She could see Panda missing her, but Thomas? Katie? She knew Katie hated her, because Katie took Emily's side in the whole Naomi cancer situation.

She didn't know if JJ wanted to see her, but she sure as hell didn't want to see him. She doesn't remember much of the bad summer, the one after his death, but she knows that JJ never came round to see her, never checked to see how she was doing. She thinks he secretly blames her for what happened. She would agree. It was her fault. She still hasn't forgiven herself, mostly because she doesn't like to think about that time.

Effy exited her thoughts to find Emily looking at her expectantly. She really, really didn't want to go. Which is why she surprises herself when she says, "Sure, I'll go. For Naomi."

Emily looks equally as surprised at this statement. She figured she would have to put up more of a fight. "Okay then, now that that's sorted, I have to be getting home. Prepare the flat for lots of guests, you know." Effy knows it's just an excuse to leave. She doesn't mind. As much as she loves Emily and wants to become friends again, there's only so much pity she can take without snapping.

She gets it. She knows she's a mess. She knows she's screwed up her life. That doesn't mean that she wants everyone's pity. She deserved every bad thing that happened to her. Sometimes she wonders what would have happened if she had succeeded in her suicide attempt. Everyone would be happier. The world would be better.

These thoughts don't stop her from trying to get better though. She would do anything to make up for all of her mistakes.

Effy reluctantly stands up after Emily has left and heads back to her flat. preparing for the rough night ahead.


	4. Chapter 4

**This chapter is really late and short. My apologies! Will have a longer one posted by Monday!**

It was 4:45 when Effy arrived at the club. She'd spent the last two hours trying to pick out something to wear and getting ready. She couldn't figure out why she cared so much, but something in the back of her mind was telling her she should try to impress her old friends. Try to make them see how much she'd changed, so that they wouldn't judge her.

She was wearing a small black dress with her hair put up nicely in a messy bun- she didn't want them to think she was trying_ too_ hard. The dress wasn't nearly as revealing as anything she wore when she was younger and her make-up wasn't as intense.

The first thing she noticed when she walked into the club was the sight of blonde hair running towards her. She didn't have much time to prepare for the impact. Just a second later a very giddy Pandora was in her arms babbling on and on very loudly about how much she missed her and was happy to see her. She did her best to look as happy as possible and smiled brightly as Pandora pulled away. "It's nice to see you too, Panda."

"Oh wizzer! Just as quiet as ever I see! Haven't changed much, have you Eff?" Great. She thought. Just the opposite of what I was going for.

She looked behind her friend to see Thomas walking up to her.

"Hello, Effy. Nice to see you again." The brunette could see the apprehension in the man's eyes just before he went to give her a small hug. "We best be getting to our seats, Panda. The shows about to start."

"Fantastic!" She yelled. Apparently Effy wasn't the only one who hadn't changed at all. "Eff, you can sit with us, yeah?"

As much as Effy wanted to say no, she couldn't decline the other girl who was looking at her with the most hopeful eyes she had seen in a very long time.

"Of course, Panda." She said. "That is if it's okay with Thomas?"

Effy wasn't the only one who couldn't say no to the blonde. "Yes, it would be nice to catch up," Thomas reluctantly replied.

As they began walking to their booth, Effy caught a familiar gaze. JJ was leaning up against the bar, drink in hand, staring directly at her.

He had changed, at least in appearance. His hair was shorter and not nearly as messy. He was wearing a grey shirt with an open red flannel shirt over it. His jeans fit him in all the right places and his shoes looked very expensive. Effy had to admit, the boy looked hot.

She tore her eyes from his as the lights began to dim. A middle aged man walked out and began to introduce the first performer. As he was talking she found Emily already sat in the booth with a drink in hand.

Emily looked extremely surprised to see her. "You actually came." She said with raised eyebrows. "I was expecting you to flake. Naomi will be happy to see you." Emily didn't want to admit that she was happy to see the other girl as well.

"Well I couldn't resist the chance to see darling Pandora." Effy said. "Speaking of old friends, where is Miss Katie Fucking Fitch?" She asked, starting to feel a little more comfortable.

"Katie went to the loo, she'll be back soon." Emily replied, smiling. "Here, come sit down."

The four friends started chatting about random things and how their lives had changed. The conversation was surprisingly easy for Effy, she felt like all of the things that had happened in the past few years didn't matter, and she was having a good time, with a small smile gracing her lips the entire time.

Before long the announcer came back on stage and introduced Naomi. The entire table started clapping and cheering, Effy along with them. Just as Naomi was beginning to talk, Effy's eye caught sight of a girl coming out of the bathroom. Her first thought was damn, she is beautiful. It was only a second later when she realized just who the girl was, and she immediately froze.

Katie Fitch was looking directly at her, giving her the greatest death glare she had ever witnessed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! Here's the update I promised. It doesn't look very long, but it's longer than any of the other chapters so far. Enjoy!**

Katie slowly walked to the table the gang was currently sitting at, not breaking her glare at Effy the entire time. It's amazing how she even made it to the table without running into anyone. Effy decided it was probably because the whole club seemed to part for Katie, it's no wonder, she was stunning.

Her hair was curled down perfectly. Her top showed just the right amount of cleavage- not too much to make her seem slutty, but not too little that people wouldn't notice her tits. Her jeans shaped her perfectly round ass well and accentuated her seemingly never ending legs.

Effy couldn't help but think that she was really, really hot.

The taller brunette was brought out of her thoughts when she heard Katie practically scream at Emily "What the hell is she doing here?!" Effy had forgotten how Katie's voice had sounded. She quite liked it.

"Naomi invited her. What's the big deal?" Emily replied as calmly as she could.

"What do you mean 'what's the big deal'? Or have you failed to remember what she did to us?" Katie said.

"She didn't do anything to 'us'. She hasn't done anything to you, and Naomi and I have forgiven her for what she did in the past." Emily replied, shooting Effy a quick smile.

"And over there is my loving and supportive girlfriend and best friends, obviously ignoring me. What wonderful people they are." The entire club boomed with laughter and everyone at the table looked extremely embarrassed, having just realized that they had been ignoring Naomi's set for the past ten minutes.

"We'll talk about this later, now shut up!" Emily whispered to Katie and focused her full attention on the beautiful brunnette on stage.

As Naomi's performance went on, Effy found herself not really being able to get into it. She couldn't help but glancing at the fierce girl sitting across from her still shooting occasional daggers her way. Something had changed about Katie, and Effy couldn't place what it was. She looked the same, maybe slightly more grown up and classy rather than slutty. She seemed to be acting the same, what with her constant glare of hatred that she was giving. But something had changed. Her overall presence was different. She gave off a different sort of vibe and Effy couldn't figure out what it was.

After the announcer came out to introduce the next performer, Naomi walked to the table to greet her friends. Effy was expecting her to greet her girlfriend first but instead she completely skipped over her to greet Effy her self.

"Oh my God I can't believe you're here! I thought you said you had plans, what happened? Did they fall through?" Effy gave an awkward nod and glanced at Emily, who was giving her a 'you got into this mess your self' type look.

Before Effy could make an even bigger awkward mess of herself, Pandora went in behind Naomi to give her a big bear hug, at the same time screaming in her ear about how great she was on stage.

Katie jumped into the conversation with a "You haven't seen me in over a year, yet the first person you want to talk to is the same self-absorbed bitch who treated you like shit while you were dieing?"

"Katie, I said not now!" Emily yelled, giving her twin the evilest look she could muster.

"Yes, right now! What happened to 'I will never forgive her'? It's like she didn't do anything! She doesn't deserve your friendship! You cried for _months_, Emily! Months! And it's all _her_ fault! But now you're suddenly ready to have her be your friend like nothing happened? That's bullshit!" By the time Katie was finished with her speech, she was out of breath, her face red with anger. Naomi was beginning to tear up, and Effy looked to be searching for the closest exit to make a quick escape.

Suddenly a strong voice spoke from behind. "Everyone makes mistakes, Katie. We've all changed. Look at Effy. Do you really think she's the same vindictive person we knew in sixth form? There is no need to make your sister and her girlfriend feel bad about accepting something that you have yet to come to terms with. You're ruining everyone's night. Just get the fuck over it."

Effy knew that voice. It made her want to throw up. She hadn't heard it since _he_ died. She distantly heard Katie say "Don't take up for her, JJ!" but the rest of the conversation didn't register to her. Emily noticed quickly what was happening, but not fast enough to stop Effy from bolting from the club, pushing past crowds of people to get to the exit.

She could hear Emily and Naomi behind her, telling her to calm down and wait for them. She just kept running. When she made it outside the chill air hit her hard and she began sprinting down the sidewalk in the direction of her flat.

She didn't want to listen to it. Didn't want to hear Naomi's pleas for her to slow had dealt with her panic attacks before, she knew how to deal with them. But Effy didn't want to be calmed down. In that moment she knew that nothing would be okay. Nothing would make this pain go away.

After a few more blocks she could sense that Naomi and Emily had stopped following her. Good. She didn't want their help. She didn't deserve it. Everything Katie said was right.

She was so caught up in her jumbled thoughts of Katie, Naomi and Emily, JJ, and _him_, that she didn't even realize that she was at her front door. She fumbled through her pocket to find her keys, shoved them into the lock, shuffled inside and slammed the door shut.

She dashed into her bathroom and whipped her medicine cabinet open, making some of its' contents spill out into the sink. She grabbed a small bottle of pills and took to out, swallowing them whole without water.

As much as Effy thought she was dieing and her life was falling apart, she knew in the back of her mind that this was the only thing to make it stop. She rarely had to use her special medicine, as it was only to be used in emergencies, but she figured this was emergency enough.

She walked slowly to her bed and fell rather un-gracefully onto it.

Effy drifted off to sleep with evil thoughts racking her brain.

**Just to be clear, the medication was something she was supposed to take. She isn't trying to hurt herself or anything like that. Didn't think I made that very clear in the story.**


	6. Chapter 6

**So I'm actually really proud of how this chapter turned out... Also, please review, because it makes me happy :)**

Back at the club…

"What the hell Katie?" Katie turned around in her bar seat, glass of whisky still in hand, to find her sister, out of breath from running, yelling at her.

"It's not my fault the crazy bitch wanted to run-" before she could continue trying to justify herself, a still panting Naomi ran up to her.

"Fucking hell, Katie! Of course it's your fault! You pushed her! And God knows where she is now, or what she's doing! You know she's not exactly right in the head, think about what she could be doing right now! She could be dead by tomorrow for all I know!" Naomi screamed furiously.

Katie began to feel slightly guilty. Memories of the past shot through her mind- Effy covered in blood, laying in the bathroom nearly dead.

That was one of the days Katie regretted most in her life. If she had just refused to leave the girl alone in the bathroom. If she had been smarter, Effy wouldn't have tried to kill herself. She wouldn't have had to go to the mental hospital, and she wouldn't have meat John Foster. Freddie wouldn't have been dead.

But then Katie remembered seeing Naomi in the hospital, just hours away from what they thought was death. Katie remembered watching her sister cry for days on end in her girlfriends death bed. She remembered Naomi looking so small and fragile, like even the slightest touch and she'd crumble. And when the doctors told them she had only hours to live… on that day just a few years ago, Katie vowed to make Effy pay. Make her pay for the tears and sorrow that her sister and Naomi had to go through. She couldn't forgive the other girl. _Never._

"Do you ever think that maybe all of our lives would be better if we just let her die?" Right after the words left her mouth she instantly regretted it.

Before she could even register the intense looks of pain from the two girls standing in front of her, she felt a searing slap to her cheek.

"Fuck you, Katie! Just.." Pandora stammered with tears in her eyes, not being able to even find the right words to express the hatred she felt towards the other girl. "Effy was your friend too! You know she's had problems and that they got worse when Freds died…" She trailed off again, looking at Thomas to save her.

Thomas enveloped the blonde in his arms, whispering reassuring words in her ear. Meanwhile, Katie could see Emily holding Naomi's face in her hands, trying to convince Naomi, and possibly herself, that Effy would be alright.

"It's okay, love. She'll be fine. She's not the same screwed up girl from back in college. She can handle herself, you know that."

Katie just stood there, not entirely paying attention to the chaos around her, when she felt someone grab her from behind and practically drag her outside. Just as she was about to scream for help, the offender spun her around so that she was looking directly into his eyes.

"Jesus Christ, JJ. You've gotta stop sneaking up on people like that, could have given me a heart attack." She said.

JJ ignored her words and began speaking, staring into her eyes. "I know how much you care for Naomi, but you just messed up, big time. The only way you're going to fix it is assuring her that Effy is okay. I'll drive you to Effy's place now." The boys tone left no room for discussion and she reluctantly got in his car that was parked right outside the club. She decided not to question him as to why he knew Effy's address. It really didn't matter at this point.

They stayed silent the entire car ride. Some time later they arrived in front of a run down apartment complex. The place looked like it hadn't been used in years, rusty glass bottles shattered on the ground, paint peeling off the doors, and boarded up windows lining the wall.

_This is where she lives?_ Katie thought._ But… why? Couldn't she afford someplace a little nicer? Maybe somewhere a little less dirty?_

Katie was suddenly broken from her thoughts by JJ's voice booming through the quiet car. "She's in number six."

Katie looked at him for a second before getting out of the car. She walked slowly up the broken stone pathway, distantly hearing JJ saying something about giving her thirty minutes to get in and get out.

She nervously approached the number six apartment, thinking about how she could just walk away back to the car and demand that JJ take her home. But when she saw that the door to the flat was slightly ajar, she knew she couldn't leave.

She pushed open the door and peeked inside to see the small living room. Panic started to set in when Katie's eyes landed on the open medicine cabinet she could see in the open bathroom.

_No. She wouldn't._ Katie thought. _She wouldn't hurt herself because of what I said, would she?_

The girl ran to the closed door on the other side of the room that she assumed led to the bedroom and pushed the door open with such a force she was surprised when it didn't come flying off the hinges.

There, lying on the bed, she saw an unconscious Effy. She quickly made her way to the girl and began to shake her, trying to force her to wake up. "Come on Eff," She whispered, "I didn't mean what I said.."

Effy's eyes began to open slowly and she took in her surroundings. "Katie?"

Katie's entire body relaxed, relief washing over her when she heard the other girls scratchy voice. "Thank God you're awake. What did you take? Do we need to go to the hospital? Why was your door open? Is there somebody else here?"

Effy shushed the girls frantic questioning and quietly answered, "The door must have opened a little from me slamming it so hard. No one else is here. I'm fine, I just took my prescription, it makes me tired."

Katie was completely overtaken by relief. But it was short lived. After a moment Katie started yelling, "What the fuck Effy? I thought you were dead! Why would you run off like that? Don't do that to me!" Katie had no idea why she cared this much. Just an hour ago she was wishing the girl in her arms was dead._ Why did it matter so much now?_

It was then that Katie realized that Effy was, in fact, still in her arms. She quickly moved and got off the bed, or fell off would be a better term. Katie was still panicking, her blood rushing through her veins when she looked into Effy's eyes.

Effy's beautiful calming blue eyes. Katie relaxed and just stared at the other girl for a few moments before she heard Effy's scratchy voice again, "Can you get me some water please?"

It took her a moment to register the girls words, but eventually Katie walked out of the bedroom to the kitchen to retrieve a glass of water. She used the time she spent maneuvering around the unfamiliar kitchen to try to sort out her thoughts.

_Why am I still here? I came here to make sure she was okay, and she clearly is, so why am I still here?_

She must have spent more time than she thought getting the water, because when she returned, Effy was out cold again. Instead of waking the other girl up, Katie set the glass on the old night stand, and tucked the tall brunette in.

Katie stood there for a moment after, just staring at the girl. She didn't know what compelled her to do this, but she got into bed with the other girl, wrapping her arms around her smaller frame, and wiping the hair from her face. They stayed like that for a few minutes, before Katie eventually fell asleep as well.

Curled up together sweetly is exactly how JJ found them twenty minutes later.


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm sorry it's so short. The next one WILL be longer. Like maybe four times as long. But it will take longer to update, because I just started school. So I have a question. Would you prefer quicker, smaller updates, or longer ones more spread out? Please please answer!**

JJ arrived back at Naomi and Emily's flat- where he'd be staying for the weekend- and was immediately bombarded with questions from two very distraught brunettes.

"Where were you? Is Katie with you? The two of you ran off so fast…" Emily said.

"Katie and I went to find Effy. They're both okay, actually doing quite well I'd say." JJ replied, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Well where is Katie?" Naomi questioned suspiciously.

"With Effy. They were sound asleep last I checked." JJ thought about telling them how exactly the two girls fell asleep, but decided against it. He didn't know what to make of it himself, after all.

He'd been sitting in the car for quite some time, and began to get curious as to why it was taking Katie so long. He figured she would come right back out to the car once she saw Effy. That, or the girls would end up in a fight, and as far as he could tell the flat looked completely peaceful inside. Starting to fear the worst, he got out of the car and went up to the small apartment, noticing the door was still open, and it was silent inside. He walked through the place, easily navigating to the bedroom. It was safe to say he didn't expect to find what he did on the other side of the door.

Snuggled up cutely was none other than the fearless Effy Stonem, and the one and only Katie Fucking Fitch. After gazing at the pair for a few moments, he quietly shut the door and made his way back to the car. He figured Katie could find her way back to Emily's in the morning. He didn't have the guts to wake her up and take her home that night.

Back in the present, Naomi and Emily were staring at him in disbelief. "Why the fuck would Katie fall asleep at Effy's?" Naomi asked.

"Maybe she was tired?" The girls glared at JJ, unimpressed. "Well, I'm off to bed, see you in the morning." And with that, he walked passed the two into the guest bedroom, still with a small smile resting on his lips.

* * *

Katie awoke at around five the next morning, head pounding from the alcohol she'd consumed the previous night. She opened her eyes to find herself in unfamiliar surroundings, legs tangled with an unknown person.

At first she was confused. She was fully clothed, as was this other person, who, judging by the long brown hair, was also a girl. She unraveled herself from the mysterious person and slid off the bed. Looking down at the face of the woman, memories came flooding back to her from the night before.

She'd helped Effy. Effy Stonem, the evil, soulless woman whom she'd spent the last few years of her life hating. Why had she helped her? And more importantly, why had she stayed?

Katie was lost in her thoughts and didn't see the sleeping girl begin to stir.

"Katie?" The voice, still laced with sleep, startled her so much she jumped. Upon realizing who the voice belonged to, Katie immediately turned around, walking out of the room and to the front door, muttering a quick "I have to go".

After exiting the flat, she took in her surroundings. She was unfamiliar with London, and it was dark, the street lamps being her only source of light. Katie walked a few blocks down the road until she found a bus station. She waited quite impatiently for the bus to Emily's neighborhood to arrive.

* * *

Emily was startled awake by a distant pounding coming from her flat door.

"Jesus Christ who the fuck is here at six thirty in the bloody morning," Naomi whined, face still buried in her pillow.

"I don't know why don't you go check?" Emily replied sarcastically.

"Why the fuck should I do it? Why can't you do it?"

"Oh yeah Naoms let me just go answer the door naked."

Naomi turned to look at her. "It's not my fucking fault you're too lazy to put on some clothes." The pounding on the door continued, gradually getting louder.

"Fucking hell Naomi just answer the bloody door!" Emily shouted.

They both turned their heads when they heard Katie screaming from outside. "Would somebody fucking let me in! I'm dripping water everywhere and it's fucking cold!"

"Jesus," Naomi rolled her eyes and made her way to the front door. When she opened it she was greeted with a death glare from a very angry Katie Fitch.

Katie pushed passed her roughly to get into the flat. "About fucking time. I must say I'm surprised to see you clothed. Where the hell is my sister?"

Naomi made her way to the kitchen to get some coffee started. "Be quiet Katie, there are other people staying here you know. Why are you here at nearly seven in the morning anyway? JJ said you stayed with Effy."

Emily walked out of the bedroom, now fully clothed in pajamas and went to give her girlfriend a quick kiss. Wrapping herself in Naomi's arms, she looked her sister up and down. "You look like shit," she said.

Katie scowled at her. "Thanks babe, I had no idea. Anyways, JJ made me fucking go see Effy. Once I got there I was so drunk I fell asleep."

Naomi noticed the girl averting her gaze, and became suspicious. "So you just fell asleep? What was Effy doing?"

"She was already in bed when I got there. I was gonna wake her up and apologize so that you would stop being so fucking mad at me, but I just kinda passed out on her couch." Katie knew her story wasn't really adding up, but it's not like she wanted them to know that she'd ended up sleeping with the other girl, no matter how un-sexual it was.

"Uh-huh. And why did you leave so early then?" Naomi questioned.

"I woke up early and wanted to get out of her shitty apartment. It was gross and the couch felt horrible." She hastily replied. She didn't know where Naomi was going with this, but she would never tell the truth. She would call Effy later that day and make sure she kept her big mouth shut as well. No one would find out. Ever.

"Yeah, sure Katie. Whatever you say." Naomi said, holding Katie's gaze for a few seconds before turning back to her coffee. She knew Katie was hiding something, but the question was, what would she have to hide?

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go take a shower and get myself ready for the day. Perhaps the two of you will do the same. I'm your guest for Christ sake, take me to breakfast or something." And with that Katie walked off, leaving behind two very confused women.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Yes, I know it's been a month. Yes, I know this chapter isn't as long as I promised. But it is twice as long as the previous one, if that counts for anything. There is no excuse, I'm just a huge procrastinator. Sorry :(**

It had been a week since the night Katie had stayed over, and Effy was still confused about it. Confused wasn't something the all-knowing Effy was used to feeling, which just left her more confused.

Just a few hours after Katie had left her flat, Effy received a call from her. During this call, Katie dragged on and on about how Effy was to tell no one. Before Effy could get out anything more than a simple "okay", Katie was off the phone. But that was a week ago, and Effy had other things to think about.

He was currently sitting at her small counter, sipping some coffee. He arrived earlier that morning, with no warning before hand. Simply knocking on her door, then walking right in. That had been hours ago, and they still had yet to say a word to each other.

She was studying him, quite openly in fact. He had changed, he looked more mature, but damaged. Like age had weakened him. Effy looked into those deep blue eyes and saw pain and agony.

James Cook was no longer the spirited boy that she had once loved.

He was the first to break the silence.

"You look - no- _are_ different." She didn't respond. They sat in silence for a few more moments until he continued. "It's not as hard as I thought it would be, looking at you. I don't see his face anymore when I look into your eyes. That was always the problem, when I saw you, I couldn't help but see him too. No matter how different the two of you were, you always seemed to be a part of each other. Not anymore, though. You haven't forgotten, but you've moved on. He doesn't define your life anymore, does he, Eff?"

Effy didn't know how to respond to that. It took her a moment, but she realized that what Cook said was true. She'd moved on. It was no longer Freddie and Effy, it was just Effy. She'd known this for a while, but she never truly believed it.

"Why are you here, Cook?" She asked. She wanted to know. She hadn't spoken to him in years, she'd thought he was gone too. Everyone did. Not long after they found the body, Cook ran off. No one, not even JJ, knew where he went.

"Gotten myself into a bit of piss, needed a place to stay. From what I hear, you've become a bit of a fuckup yourself. Figured you could help me out."

"Are there police involved? I'm not going to jail again, James." She didn't know if she wanted to help him or not, but she sure as hell knew she didn't want to go back.

"Since when are cops not involved? Don't worry about it, babe. I'll only be here a short while, just wanna get back on my feet. Please, Eff. I really need your help."

He was begging. _James Cook_ was begging. There was no way Effy could deny him. No matter what, he still meant something to her. "No more than a week. You're gone after that."

He just looked into her eyes, thanking her without saying a word.

* * *

"Bye guys, visit soon!" Emily yelled out the door of her flat to Thomas and Pandora. She shut the door, and leaned back against it, letting out a deep sigh.

"Jesus, I love them and everything, but it's nice to have the place back to ourselves, don't you think?" She said, looking at Naomi from across the room.

"I know what you mean. There's only so much Panda I can take before I snap." Naomi smiled at her girlfriend, walking over to her and giving her a big kiss on the lips.

"Can we go take a nap? I'm exhausted. And this is the only time we have alone before the she-devil comes back to ruin our lives." Naomi laughed, finding it hilarious that her peace-loving girlfriend would call her own sister such a name. What she said was true though. Katie would be returning in just a few hours from her business lunch.

"Absolutely, it's a rare occasion we get some peace and quiet as of late." The two headed off to bed, hoping to get some well deserved rest after having not one but four guests in their home for a week.

* * *

"Thanks you guys, I'll be sure to get that order in by the end of the week," Katie said as she said goodbye to her coworkers and headed back to her sisters' flat. She had so much work to do, what with her company moving from Cardiff to London and subsequently having to find her own place to live in a not-so-friendly market.

Whatever, though. Katie enjoyed her job and staying with her sister wasn't the worst thing in the world. She was happy that her relationship with Emily had grown to be as strong as it is. They no longer fought 24/7 and they actually enjoyed eachothers company. Katie supposed this was because that they both had grown up quite a bit since college and the days they spent hating each other.

Katie was so lost in thought that she didn't see the person turning the corner until it was too late. All of her papers went flying about as she fell to the pavement in the midst of rush hour London.

"I'm sorry, here, let me help you up," Katie recognized that voice. _Great_, she thought._ As if my day wasn't bad enough already. _

"I don't need your help, stupid fucking bitch. Just grab my papers, will you?" She screeched, scrambling to her feet.

Effy looked momentarily taken aback. She quickly recovered and slipped back into her calm and professional facade. "Why would I help you pick up papers if you don't want my help?" She replied.

"Just shut up and help me!" Katie yelled as she ran about trying to stop the papers from flying about.

Effy bent down and grabbed as many papers as she could. Once the two girls collected everything, Effy handed over what she picked up. Right after she did so, Katie turned to leave.

"What, do I not get a thank you?" Effy yelled at her.

Katie turned around to face Effy fully. "Thanks for picking up the papers that you caused to go flying everywhere."

"Hey, that wasn't entirely my fault. Watch where you're going next time." Effy replied snarkily.

"God, you're such a bitch. Knock me down and then don't even bother to apologize. Rude."

"I did apologize! I even offered to help you up! Now because of you, I'm late to my meeting."

It was then that Katie finally took in the situation. Effy was dressed in a nice business suit. She looked like a real CEO, briefcase and everything. "Didn't realize you had a job. I'm surprised. Whoever hired you must be delusional, letting an ex-con in the workplace." Katie could tell she had struck a nerve by the look of pure hurt on the other girls face, and felt slightly guilty.

"Whatever, fuck you Katie." Before Katie could respond with an 'I'm sorry', Effy had turned around and was gone.

* * *

Katie entered her sister's flat - now clad with a key - in a very sour mood. She didn't know why, because her day had been going pretty well up until her run in with Effy.

Her main focus now was to get some sort of alcohol in her system to make her forget the days troubles.

She was well into her second glass of wine and third episode of the Jersey Shore when her bed head ridden sister walked in. "Crappy wine and trashy TV. Way to be classy, big sis."

"Oh fuck off Emily, I haven't had the best day. We can't all have the perfect job with the perfect wife and perfect flat you know." Katie replied.

"Just remember that you're staying in that 'perfect flat' for free." Emily said, grabbing a glass from the kitchen and plopping herself down right next to her sister. "Hand me the bottle, I could use some of that myself." Katie passed her the bottle of wine. "Anyways, what's made your day so bad?"

"I was on my way here from lunch and ran into Effy, literally. Papers went flying every which way and then I somehow hurt her feelings. I don't even know." Katie put her head in her hands. "She's got a job now I think. Looks to be something fancy, if her attire was anything to go by."

"Really? That's fantastic! Good for her. How did you hurt her feelings?" Emily asked.

"I may have said something along the lines of 'whoever hired you was an idiot'." Katie looked down ashamedly.

Emily stared at her sister a moment, taking in what she just heard. "Why the fuck would you do that Katie? What is your problem with her anyways? I forgave her, Naomi forgave her, why can't you? You need to fix this."

"I'm sorry, okay? I don't know what it is about her that always makes me so frustrated. It's like whenever I get near her I think of the bitchiest thing to say and I can't help but blurt it out."

Emily was surprised at this sudden outburst. Katie hadn't spoken about Effy since that morning she stayed at Effy's flat. She and Naomi had tried to talk to Katie about it, but the girl wouldn't say a word. This was uncharted territory. "I don't know what to tell you. Just… Fix it. Please. You've both changed. I actually think the two of you would get along quite well if you'd just talk to her like a normal human being."

Katie took in what her sister told her. She didn't know if she could ever be civil with Effy, but she would have to try.

* * *

Cook had been sat at the couch all day, with nothing better to do than watch TV. He wanted to give it a few days before he went back out, just to make sure no one was watching him. He didn't mind having to stay inside, Effy's flat was small, but it had a lot of character. The dirty walls, the carpet that was covered in stains that were likely to never come out. He enjoyed the simplicity of it.

Effy had left earlier that morning to go to work. Cook had asked her about it before she left. Apparently it was only her second day on the job. The bank she had applied to took a chance in her, giving her a much higher up position than she had expected.

He was happy for her. He didn't know the full story of what she'd been up to since college, because he didn't feel it was his place to ask. Whatever went down must have really changed her, though. Effy wasn't the empty person he once knew. She was compassionate and benevolent now.

He spent the whole of yesterday asking her about the others. He desperately wanted to know what they had made of themselves. Most of her answers were exactly the same. _He's doing well. She got herself a nice job. They're still together and happy as ever._ There was one reply that stood out, however.

When he asked about Katie, he was surprised to see her whole face light up. "She seems great. She's changed so much, it's quite lovely to see actually. She cares so much for Emily and Naomi, it's amazing. I got to see her a few days ago, she looks great." She had said.

It was insane to think that Effy Stonem could actually be affected by something as simple as saying someone's name. Cook could tell that there was more to the story, but he again didn't want to pry. She'd tell him when she was ready.

Cook had been thinking about that conversation all day, so much so that he couldn't even focus on the TV that he was watching.

He was broken from his thoughts by the front door slamming shut. He looked back to see a visibly upset Effy walk into the living room.

"What's wrong, babe?" He asked.

Effy tossed her briefcase and coat in the corner before throwing herself down on the couch next to him. "I'm fine, just ran into Katie today on my way to a meeting. I was nearly late, and I couldn't really focus on what was being said. Just too many thoughts running around in my head is all."

Cook looked at her perplexedly, "Wait, from what you said yesterday, I thought you and Katie were friends. What's the problem?"

"We're not friends, and as much as I want everything to go back to normal, I don't think we ever will be."

Cook wrapped his arm around the girl, and she leaned her head on his chest. "It'll all work out, babe," he whispered. "Nothing stays shit forever."


End file.
